Toy balloon



June 6, i939. BEHREND 2,161,274

TOY BALLOON Filed March 30, 1937 INVENTOR /C7'02 @EH QfND I g I W TTORNEY Patented June 6, 1939 v UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to toy balloons, animals, and other inflated articles, and more particularly to means for manipulating the valve for deflating said articles.

, The invention has for its primary object the provision of readily accessible means for opening the valve of an inflated article, said means being completely hidden and not discernible from the outside efsaid article.

Another object is to provide valve controlling means which is inseparably formed as part of the balloonstructure so that it is always available for use and may not become lost or misplaced.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a valve which is arranged to cover the air passage of the mouthpiece or inflating stem by means of which the balloon is inflated and to provide said valve with an extension which may be manually pulled to free the mentioned passage and thereby to permit deflation of the balloon.

With the foregoing objects in mind and many others which will hereinafter be indicated, the invention may be realized in the forms illus- 5 trated in the accompanying drawing in which both a flap valve and a plug valve as at present contemplated, are shown.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of

a toy balloon constructed according to the invention and in an inflated condition, said structure employing a flap valve.

Fig. 2 is a similar view and showing the disposition of the users hands when unseating the valve to cause deflation of the balloon.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the mouthpiece with the new flap valve and control means attached thereto.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail sectional view showing a plug valve structure employing the principles of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in greater detail, there is shown at 5 a usual type of toy balloon made of pliable and stretchable material such as rubber, and in the usual manner formed with a cylindrically shaped neck portion 6. I

The mouthpiece or inflating stem 1 which is introduced into the neck 6, is usually made of Wood or the like, and is formed with a longitudinal passage 8 and with a groove 9 to receive that portion of the balloon neck 6 which is forced thereinto by means such as the elastic band or bands [0.

As is readily apparent, the foregoing structure is more or less of usual design and, as at present understood, may be varied in many ways, this structure, per se, not constituting the novel portions of the present invention.

The novelty of this invention resides in the flap valve II which is held in secured position on the end of the mouthpiece within the neck 6, and in the elongated tongue portion l2 which depends into the hollow of the balloon. .Preferred means such as the thin adhesive shown at l3 may be used for securing one end of the flap valve to the mouthpiece and the flap valve is preferably arranged so, as to lie transverse of the end of the passage 8 and free to move in relation thereto.

Another feature resides in the provision of a conical seat M on the end of the mouthpiece for the accommodation of the flap valve and for more effective sealing of the passage 8 when said flap valve is seated thereon.

It will be noted that the tongue portion 12 of the flap valve is disposed in the neck 6 of the balloon and may or may not protrude into the hollow of the balloon proper. It is at this neck that the tongue may be grasped and pulled by also pulling and hence stretching said neck, when deflation of the balloon is desired. It is, therefore, apparent that a novel combination is effected between the balloon structure per se and the new form of valve and control.

The balloon may be inflated either by a pneumatic device or by mouth through the passage 8, the oncoming air merely displacing the valve from the passage end so the balloon may be filled and stretched to a desired size. It is readily seen that the air pressure in the balloon in seeking to escape will force the valve ll against its seat [4 and hence close the passage 8. This condition will be maintained so long as the pressure in the balloon is greater than atmospheric pressure.

When it is desired to deflate the balloon, the neck 6 thereof is grasped and pinched to also grip the extension tongue l2 which lies therein. Then by pulling and stretching the neck in a direction away from the mouthpiece, the tongue is pulled to cause the valve H to become unseated and the air in the balloon will be free to seek escape through the passage 8. Total or partial deflation may be selectively accomplished in this manner and in instances where a reed or other noisemaking device is incorporated in the mouthpiece, simple musical airs may be played by skilled manipulation of the valve.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 4, the flap valve is replaced by a plug valve Ila which is normally lightly held against the valve seat 8a formed on the mouthpiece I at the end of the passage 8. The means employed for this purpose is in the form of an elastic member [5 connected to the plug valve at one end and held securely by the reed, whistle, or other noise making device l6 against the Wall of the passage 8. A flexible extension I 20. fixed to the plug now serves as the means to be manipulated to unseat the plug valve Ila.

From the foregoing, it may be readily seen that a thoroughly practical, enjoyable, and quite simple device in its preferred form of novelty, has been provided. Since it is apparent that immaterial changes by skilled persons may be readily efiected, the prior pertinent art rather than this specific disclosure should form the basis of interpretation of the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In a toy balloon, an inflating stem having a passage, an automatic valve for permitting inflating and for maintaining inflated said balloon, said valve being adapted to close said passage When the balloon is inflated, and means connected to the valve and disposed within said balloon adapted to be manually pulled in a direction away from said stem. to unseat said valve to permit deflation of said balloon.

2. In a toy balloon or the like, a flap valve for permitting inflating and for maintaining inflated said balloon, and an extension on said flap valve disposed within said balloon and operable by manual pinching of said extension between the balloon walls for unseating said valve to deflate said balloon.

3. A toy balloon or the like, comprising an air or gas inflatable body having a neck portion, a mouthpiece connected with said neck portion and having an air passage, a flap valve for controlling said passage, and an extension on said valve disposed within said neck portion, said extension being adapted to be pulled manually to unseat said valve and to thereby open said passage.

4. A toy balloon or the like, comprising an air or gas inflatable body having a neck portion, a mouthpiece connected with said neck portion and having an air passage, a valve seat on said mouthpiece at the end of said passage, a plug valve associated with said valve seat, and a flexible extension adapted to be manually pulled in a direction away from said stem to unseat said valve to permit deflation of said balloon.

5. A toy balloon or the like, comprising an air inflatable body having a neck portion, a mouthpiece connected with said neck portion and having an passage, a flap valve for controlling said passage, said flap valve being secured to said mouthpiece, and an integral extension on said valve disposed within said neck portion, said extension being manually operable to unseat said valve and to thereby open the mentioned passage.

VICTOR BEHREND. 

